Committee on First Nations languages says large disparity in language funding in Quebec

Some language experts in Quebec say that while the province is providing $717 million over five years to protect the French language, the same can’t be said for the effort towards First Nations. The Regional Committee on First Nations Languages, a group put together by the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador, says it makes it harder to preserve First Nations languages in Quebec. The committee says Indigenous languages are under threat, as Quebec legislation is re-colonizing indigenous people in the province. “Let’s say you speak Atikamekw, and a lot of [people] in the community, let’s say over 90 per cent speak Atikamekw as a first language, you can be educated in Atikamekw to a certain level but the [parents], they will remove their kids from Atikamekw to put them in French because the student, they will have to pass the French exam,” says Sara Cleary, the Director for the Regional Committee on First Nations Languages. “So that creates many types of issues like that where there is an attack direct on the transmission of our language.” Cleary says Law 14 – which enforces French as the official language in Quebec – is an example of the ongoing colonization in the province. According to Statistics Canada, Quebec has the most First Nations people who can speak an Indigenous language. The office for the minister responsible for relations with First Nations and Inuit in Quebec told APTN News, the protection of the French language is not in opposition to Indigenous languages. The office added that Quebec is committed to working with First Nations to promote their languages while respecting their priorities and autonomy. Continue Reading